Car-coupling.



Patented Sept. 9, |902.

' 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR JMM W. @ma 62 KA/@WML c. A. TOWER. cA'R couPLmG.

\ Nnfmasl. Patented sept. 9, |902.

v (Application led Nov. 16, 1801.)

(No Model.) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON A. TOWER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLECASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORA- TION OF OHIO.

VCAR-COUPLINCl.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.1'708,681, datedSeptember 9, 1902.

Application iled November l5, 1901. Serial No. 82,391. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLINTON A. TOWER,

- of Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, have invented a new and usefulCar-Coupler, of which the following is a specification, referencebeinghad to theaccompanyingdrawings, in whicl1 y Figure 1 shows thecoupler in plan view, a portion of the top of the coupler being brokenaway for purposesrof illustration. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionthrough the coupler, showing the knuckle and the knuckleV opening andlocking piece iin planview. Fig.3 is an elevation of the knuckle lockingand opening piece. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectionon the line IV IV ofFig. 3. Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but showingthe parts in thepositions which they occupy whenV the knuckle is open. Fig. 6 is a frontelevation of the coupler with the knuckle open, a part of the wall ofthe coupler being broken away. Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section on theline VII VII of Fig. 2, showing the parts as viewed in the direction ofthe arrow in that ligure. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing amodified construction of the knuckle locking and opening piece.

My invention is an improvement on the coupler for which Reissue LettersPatent No. 11,477 were granted to me on March 5, 1895.

In the drawings, 2 represents the couplerhead.

3 is the knuckle, which is mounted so as to swing on a pivot 4, and therear end of the tail of the knuckle is preferably formed with a hook 5.f

The knuckle locking and opening piece has a locking member 6, which isadapted when the knuckle is locked to it in front of the knuc'kles tail,as shown in Fig. 2, and an opening-arm 7, which fits back of the tailand is connected with the locking member by a member 8, which extendsunder the tail. The vertical portion 8 of the member 8 is of less widththan the locking member 6, so that when the locking member is liftedabove the knuckle the tail of the knuckle can pass the portion 8 and canswing open. The locking and opening device has also a bearing 9 abovethe levelof the tail of the knuckle. This bearing is preferably formedon the locking member 6, as shown in Fig. 3; but it may be on theopening-arm 7, as in the modification shown in Fig. 8. It is adapted toengage a `fulcrum or shoulder lO'on the coupler-head when the lockingand opening device is raised and to cause it to tip radially. The deviceis lifted, preferably, by a link 11 or other suitable means. When theparts are in locked position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 7, the lockingmember fits in front of the tail of the knuckle and is braced on itsopposite side by bearing against a portion l2 of the couplerhead, whilethe member 8 lits, preferably, in agroove 13, formed in the iioor of thecoupler-head. In order to unlock and open the knuckle, the operatorraises the lifting-link 11, whereupon the opening device is Jrst raisedbodily, so as to lift-the locking member above the knuckle and to freethe latter and to cause the bearing portion 9 to engage the fulcrurn 10.Continued motion of the link 11 will then cause the locking and openingpiece to tip on-said fulcrum, as shown in Fig. 6, 'and the forwardmotion of the opening-arm 7,' caused by such` tipping action, will moveythe knuckle into open position. When the knuckle is moved back, itstail will push before it the opening-arm 7, thus bringing the lockingand opening piece into the Vertical position shown by dottedlines inFig.

7, and it will then drop into the locked posii tion shownby full lines,as above described. The rear end surface b Vof the tail of the kn uckleis preferably made on an arc of a circle which is nearly concentric withthe pivo t-pin 4:, so that in every position of the knuckle when openits tail will bear or nearly bear against the member 8 and will thushold the knuckle and opening-piece from moving back into lockingposition until the knuckle itself has been moved back.

Among the advantages of my invention are the very extendedlocking-surface which it enables me to afford to the knuckle. The

part-s also have an easy action in the opening of the knuckle. .Thisform may be varied by those skilled in the art,since What I claim isl. Acoupler having a swinging knuckle, and a tipping locking and openingpiece, said piece being bodily movable upwardly and comprising a lockingmember, an openingarm, and a connecting member which extends under theknuckle and connects the openingarm with the locking member;substantially as described.

2. A coupler having a swinging knuckle, and an upwardly movable andtipping knuckle locking and opening piece comprising a locking member,an opening-arm, and a connecting member which extends under the knuckleand connects the opening-arm with the locking member; said piece havinga tipping-bearing above the knuckle and above the position of the saidpiece when locked; substantially as described.

3. A coupler having a swinging knuckle, and a. tipping locking andopening piece, said piece being bodily movable upwardly and comprising alocking member, an openingarm and a connecting member between thelocking member and opening-arm, said connecting member being shaped topermit the passage of the knuckle when the said piece has been raised;substantially as described.

4. A coupler having a swinging knuckle, and a tipping locking andopening piece, said piece being bodily movable upwardly and comprising alocking member, an openingarm, and a connecting member which extendsunder the knuckle and connects the openingarm with the locking member,the rear end of the knuckle being shaped to prevent the back movement ofthe opening-arm when the knuckle is open; substantially as described.

5. A knuckle locking and opening piece having in a single piece alocking member, a top bearing or fulcrum, a rear vertical opening-armand a connecting member extending from the lower portion of theopening-arm horizontally and upwardly to the locking member;substantially as described.

Witness my hand this 9th day of November, 1901.

CLINTON A. TOWER.

In presence of- THOMAS W. BAKEWELL, -HENRY F. Porn.

